


Escape

by Burgie



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen, Miqo'te WoL, Vampire AU, female WoL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:01:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25957171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: After escaping from her sacrifice, Veronyka runs into the lesser of two evils.
Kudos: 1





	Escape

Ever since she’d been a little girl, Veronyka had known two things- one, that vampires were real. And two- that her aether was very strongly lightning-aspected. This made it easy for her to pick up and learn all sorts of different magic, flinging spells with wild abandon, protecting herself and her loved ones from the various demons that plagued the world.

It had also, unfortunately, made her extremely desirable to the primal who ruled over the region of Gyr Abania that she called home. She’d always known that she would someday be sacrificed to him, the god supping on her aether, which would empower him in the fight against the vampires. All across the realm, it was well-known that primals could offer protection against the vampires. Those who got too close to the primals, however, succumbed to an illness known as tempering. Their eyes became glazed over, they seemed to lose all sense of self, and their only thought was to their god. And feeding said god. True, the god did bless them with power enough to protect their towns from vampires, but… at the cost of losing themselves and becoming mindless slaves to the primals.

For years, Veronyka had lived with three threats- the vampires, the demons, and the tempered ones. Her parents, fortunately, had taught her how to fight, how to protect herself from those who would mean her harm, to prevent herself from becoming tempered or sacrificed. Anti-tempering charms hung from her wrists, neck, and ears, rings that enhanced power adorning her fingers, her robes enchanted such that they could not be easily damaged and could repel most spells. So long as her power held.

Every day, Veronyka trained in her power, using the lesser demons of the forest as hunting practice, leaving blasts of ash and ice in her wake, the scent of ozone ever hanging in the air. Those tempered to Rhalgr often stank of the same ozone, however, a fact that had annoyed her since she’d first met them.

It was as she returned home, the stench of ozone hanging over her like a cloud, that Veronyka remembered this last fact. The moment before she rounded the corner and found her village razed to the ground. The hair in the back of her neck rose, her breath catching in her throat, as she beheld the small crowd of tempered ones standing in the middle of the village.

There was nothing left of it. The shops, the town square, the barns, even the blacksmith, not a trace remained but ash and charred bricks and bones. And the smell…

“Ah, there you are.” The speaker was a man, not much older than her, bearing that same glazed look in his eyes. His steps were steady, though, as he approached her. “I’m surprised you didn’t come running at the sound of screams.” Veronyka swallowed, her throat and mouth both dry with adrenaline, her hands oddly still as she drew her staff.

“What do you want?” Veronyka asked, surprised that her voice could be so even.

“What we have always wanted, of course,” said the man, close enough now to touch. To see the palest hint of blue in his glazed eyes. “A worthy sacrifice for our god.”

“And I’ll tell you what I’ve always told you before,” said Veronyka, lightning already wreathing her fingers where she gripped her staff. “No.”

In hindsight, she should have known better. But, as the man held up a hand, fingers curling around the electricity that shot towards him, seeping into his palm, Veronyka could only gasp in surprise, falling to her knees, her power seeping from her like spilled water out of a bucket.

The last thing she saw was the arrogant smirk on the man’s face before darkness claimed her vision.

She’d expected to be held in a dank little cell. Fed on little more than scraps, offcuts, and dirty water. She’d heard that those who were captured had a miserable last few hours. Or perhaps she was confusing the tempered ones with vampires.

The room that Veronyka found herself in was somehow worse, though. Worse that it was so nice, the bed plush, the velvets curtain, the floor a plush carpet beneath her feet. She could almost think that she was in a vampire's castle.

Were it not for the purple everywhere, adorned with the symbols of lightning strikes and flaming meteors that symbolised Rhalgr. Or Ramuh, depending on who you asked.

There was a table in here, too, set with every kind of sweet thing that Veronyka normally craved after a training session such as she’d just had. A stubborn part of her wanted to refuse this, to overturn the plates, to sulk and waste away. Rhalgr couldn’t have any of her power, any of her delicious aether. Not if she had any say in it. But… damn it, she was hungry. And, she figured as she nibbled on a cake, if she could just get some strength and energy into her, she could make a run for it. See if anyone had survived that attack on her village.

She refused to even consider that nobody had made it out alive.

*** 

“My lady, are you sure that this is wise?” Minfilia’s gaze flitted over the room until it landed on Thancred, the hunter who her mother had turned to act as a big brother to her when she’d been a child so long ago.

“Are you doubting my decisions, Thancred?” Minfilia asked. Thancred’s brown eyes widened as he took a step back from that piercing blue gaze. Minfilia didn’t mean to be frightening, not really, but- well, her mother had passed over the leading of the coven to her, after all, after deciding to retire. Minfilia was a better leader, anyway.

“No, of course not,” said Thancred. “I merely… worry.”

“And I will ask you again not to,” said Minfilia. “I am quite capable of looking after myself, I'll have you know.”

“I… I know,” said Thancred, shoulders sagging. “My apologies.” Minfilia waved him off.

“Regardless, I do still plan to scope out the ruined settlement,” said Minfilia.

“Did your mother ask you to do that?” Thancred asked. Minfilia shrugged her slender shoulders.

“Perhaps I agree with her,” said Minfilia. Thancred gave her a soft smile. Unlike many of the vampire covens, focusing only on the primal threat and little else, or on drinking from humans, Minfilia instead enjoyed taking in pet humans. She didn’t mind humans, not really, viewing drinking from them as a necessary evil that she made up for in taking in injured or homeless humans. There were never any tempered among them, though. Unfortunately. Not that it stopped the tempered of Ifrit from making her life harder. Every day, there was another village razed to the ground, making food scarcer for her coven.

“Gyr Abania isn’t even in your region,” said Thancred. “You realise that, right?”

“It is unwise to forget your roots, Thancred,” said Minfilia. “One never knows what one might find there.”

***

Veronyka was glad that she’d eaten the food, when the tempered came to collect her. She rose from where she’d been sitting on her bed, drawing her staff and baring her teeth at them in a show of power. Only for another wave of power to surge out, wrapping around her as she fell to her knees once more, her staff falling to the carpeted floor with a soft thump. She glared up at a different man than before, this one dark-skinned, robed in white, holding in his hand a helm adorned with griffin wings. The same insignia adorned the back of his white cape.

“Oh, they were right about you,” the Griffin crooned, reaching down to tip her chin up with one finger. “You are simply brimming with power. Rhalgr will enjoy this.” Veronyka tried to snap at his finger, but the Griffin hauled her to her feet as another of the tempered came around behind her to bind her hands, the material biting into her skin. She suddenly couldn’t feel her magic anymore, terror icing her veins.

“You bastard, what did you do?” she snapped at him. The Griffin laughed as he walked away, Veronyka dragged between two of the tempered.

No. No, this wasn’t how it was supposed to go, she was supposed to be stronger than this, she was supposed to escape and find her village and- Veronyka struggled against her binds as she was marched down the stone hallway, screaming at them until a hard shove into the wall stole her breath from her lungs. Tears slipped down her face as she shivered.

The altar to Rhalgr was, in truth, simply a very large statue in the middle of a field, depicting a man holding out an upturned palm. Once, it had been said, the statue was said to depict a true deity, one who would protect the humans from the vampires. Not like the primals, who existed only to feed on the humans’ aether, whose protection came at a cost.

Veronyka was forced to her knees, turning her tear-streaked face up towards the dark clouds above. Lightning flickered, though she could not reach it in her veins. Not now.

One bolt of lightning, brighter than the rest, stole Veronyka’s vision for a moment. Blinking rapidly to clear it, she soon found a new addition to the empty field. Half man, half… horse? The horse’s body was purple, striped with white, additional manes on the legs, as bushy as the tail that extended behind him. His massive hooves shook the ground as he approached her, a massive staff held in his hand. His gigantic face was creased, leatherworn, his eyes flickering with lightning.

“It has been some time since a sacrifice,” Rhalgr boomed, his voice thunder. “I hope that this does not disappoint as your last one did, Griffin.”

“Oh, she certainly won't,” said the Griffin, his teeth illuminated by another flash of lightning. “Her aether crackles with your lightning.” Rhalgr’s gaze should have pinned Veronyka to the ground. But she had never been afraid of him.

“And yet, I cannot sense it,” said Rhalgr. His gaze held more violence, a thousand storms, as he looked back at the Griffin. “You know better than to lie to me, Griffin!”

“Her power is bound, to prevent her from getting away,” said the Griffin. “It is not safe, my lord.” Veronyka hid a smile as Rhalgr glowered at him.

“Unbind it,” Rhalgr demanded. “I would taste her power.” A muscle in the Griffin’s jaw feathered, but at last, he gave the nod to indicate to his followers to free her.

As Veronyka’s power flowed through her again, she grinned, flexing her fingers. Even without her staff, she could still wield magic. Especially with such a storm above.

Whirling, Veronyka grabbed at the lightning, channeling it into her, directing it to those around her. Screams filled the air as the bodies danced like puppets on the lightning, the scent of scorched flesh reaching her nostrils.

“Stop her!” the Griffin roared as Veronyka turned and ran, still flinging lightning behind her, directing it to stop the hearts of her foes, to give her the time she needed to get away.

The desert changed around Veronyka as she ran, breath rasping from her lungs, the energy from her earlier feast sustaining her. She was glad for it, even as the clouds above cleared up. But at least she still had her magic, should she need it.

Veronkya glanced behind herself as she ran, not losing speed for one minute, lest her foe catch up. She was so intent on her own safety, though, that she didn’t see the person in front of her until she slammed into her.

Perhaps the fact that the person didn’t fall should have been her warning. But, when Veronyka looked up, barely able to catch her breath, she was still surprised to see bright blue eyes set into a pale face framed by blonde hair in that white hood of the robes that she wore.

“Oh dear, are you alright?” the stranger asked. Veronyka froze at the sight of fangs glinting in the sunlight. But how…?

The tempered ones were approaching, Veronyka could hear them. She twisted around, though she knew, in her heart, that there was no point. Nobody could outrun a vampire.

The vampire made her choice for her, looking behind Veronyka and then back at her.

“An escapee, hm? I can shelter you, if you like,” said the vampire.

“I-I was actually on my way to another settlement,” said Veronyka, knowing better than to name it.

“Little Ala Mhigo?” the vampire asked. Veronyka froze. Shit. “I could take you there… but my castle has better defenses.” Sure it did. Of course she’d say that. Anything to get Veronyka to listen.

“Not like I have a choice,” said Veronyka. Vampires were better than tempering. Any day.

***

Growing up, all that Veronyka had learned about vampires had been bad things. That they wanted to feast on her blood, that they would seduce her, that they would stop at nothing to have her blood.

Minfilia was different, though. Not once, on the journey back, did she ask to drink Veronyka’s blood. Not once did she suggest to turn her, or even look at her hungrily. Instead, she looked at her with… interest.

“You must be tired from running,” said Minfilia after they’d walked for some time. The tempered ones had given up on Veronyka, knowing that it was no use to pursue one who was enthralled by a vampire. Or perhaps they simply didn’t care enough.

“Just a little,” said Veronyka, her breath harsh in her chest. “I’m not… used to running for my life, I guess.” Minfilia gave a small laugh.

“Then you must be lucky,” said Minfilia. “Many out here run for their lives daily, escaping vampires or demons or tempered ones.”

“Have you ever run for your life?” Veronyka asked. She doubted it, for someone as strong as Minfilia no doubt was.

“Yes, actually,” said Minfilia. Veronyka looked at her, puzzled. “When I was a very young girl, my father was killed by monsters. I could do nothing but run, until I was found and taken in by another vampire. F’lhaminn took me in and looked after me, and then, once I turned eighteen, she offered to turn me. She said that it was optional, of course, that I could refuse. But she showed me that vampires could be kind, as well as cruel. That kindness was not a weakness, that we could still be plenty strong. I agreed, and she turned me.”

“That must have been awful,” said Veronyka.

“It was,” said Minfilia. “Though, I was lucky- I didn’t lose my whole village like you did.” Veronyka lowered her eyes to the ground again, though she was too thirsty for tears. Minfilia noticed. “You must be thirsty. Here.” She reached into her robes and withdrew a canteen of water, though Veronyka regarded it with suspicion.

“How do I know that I can trust you?” Veronyka asked.

“Well, you can trust me or you can pass out from dehydration,” said Minfilia. “It’s up to you.”

Hours later, Thancred looked up from his vigil just inside the gates of Revenant’s Toll to see his sister approaching, a form held in her arms.

“Lunch?” Thancred asked. But he should have known better- Minfilia didn’t usually carry prey with such gentleness.

“If you want lunch, Thancred, you know that you can hunt for it yourself,” said Minfilia smoothly. Thancred fell into step beside her as she walked up the path towards the castle.

“Where did you find this one?” Thancred asked, peering in to examine the unconscious form in Minfilia’s arms.

“In the Peaks, on the way to Little Ala Mhigo. Escaping from her sacrifice,” said Minfilia.

“From the arms of one evil and into another,” said Thancred. Minfilia rolled her eyes.

“Yes, that is how it happened,” said Minfilia. “Or what she thought, anyway.”

“Clearly,” said Thancred. “Did she struggle?”

“Only in that she refused water and seemed quite stand-offish,” said Minfilia. “But other than that, she was fine.”

“How do you do it, Min?” Thancred asked. “You can seduce your prey simply by looking at it, I have to try and fall on my face half the time.” Minfilia laughed.

“Kindness goes a long way, Thancred,” said Minfilia. “Is our guest room prepared?”

“It always is,” said Thancred. “F’lhaminn is waiting by the door to the room.”

“Thank you,” said Minfilia.

When Veronyka awoke, she thought, at first, that the escape had been a dream. That she was back in that room where she’d been held prior to her sacrifice. There was the same comfortable bed, but… it was different, somehow. There were rich purple drapes over the windows, for one thing, and around the bed, which she had to push past to rise from. She was so dusty, her throat parched, her feet freezing on the tile floor. That was new- the room in Ala Mhigo had been carpeted, not stone. But this whole place was stone.

From where she stood, Veronyka could see two doors- one larger one across the room, and another smaller door, which was set into the wall further along from the bed. There was a dresser, fitted with a mirror, and a few candles in sconces set into the walls. There was also a small nightstand on either side of the bed, and a large chest at the end of the bed. Veronyka tried the chest, ignoring the pounding in her head and the weakness in her limbs for the moment, and was surprised when it opened. Inside lay all manner of weapons, glittering in the dim light cast by the candles. Why would she be given a chance to fight before she was sacrificed? What would be the point? Did Rhalgr simply want to see his food fight first?

But her head really was killing her, and so, wincing, Veronyka only drew a scepter from the chest before padding over to the smaller door. She could smell something metallic on the other side of it. Opening the door revealed to her exactly what she’d been hoping to find- a bathroom. At last, she could wash off the dust. But first…

Running over to the basin, Veronyka turned the tap and was delighted when cool water spilled out. She greedily cupped her hands beneath it, not caring about the dust still clinging to them, and drank until she felt sick. Knowing her limits, she stepped back, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. She glanced up at the mirror set above the basin, unsurprised to find a rather bedraggled woman looking back at her. She was a mess, her eyes bloodshot, tearstains making tracks through the red dust in her cheeks, and her hair…

Grimacing, Veronyka turned to the large iron tub across from the basin, turning the taps until the water was the desired temperature. Just a little on the bad side of hot but, well, it was cold in here. With delight, she discovered the various soaps and liquids that would make her bath fragrant, dumping them into the steaming water and smiling as she inhaled the scents.

The water was as red as blood by the time Veronyka finally pulled herself from the tub, her skin scrubbed pink, scalp tingling from how hard she’d scrubbed it to get rid of the dirt. But she was clean now, at least, wrapping a fluffy bath towel around herself, wrapping another towel around her hair.

It hurt, just a little bit, to pull her dirty clothes back on after becoming so clean, but she didn’t want to emerge from the bathroom naked, just in case she had company. But the room was empty when she emerged, giving her enough time to walk over to the wardrobe and pull it open.

She may have cried, just a little, at the array of beautiful, silken clothing that greeted her. She riffled through it, finally selecting a garment in red that paired nicely with a pair of black trousers. Just in case she had to run, she told herself, though it hurt to pass over the very pretty purple robes with gold detailing.

Mercifully, the soaps in the bath had been gentle enough that Veronyka had little difficulty untangling her hair, deciding to allow it to dry loose this time.

At last, taking up the scepter that she’d left on the bed, Veronyka emerged from the room, finding herself in a hallway in a similar design to her room. That was depressing. The hallway was not, however, empty, as she turned to find a white-haired miqo’te woman standing just outside of her room. Veronyka squealed, jumping back and holding aloft her scepter. The woman chuckled gently, holding up her hands.

“Fear not, my child, I mean you no harm,” said the woman. Her fangs were revealed when she spoke, and Veronyka felt a cold chill race down her spine. Trying to reach for her magic, though, only made her stomach growl.

“That wasn’t a dream, was it?” Veronyka asked, her spirits falling. Well, at least she wasn’t about to be sacrificed to a primal… small victories, she guessed.

“I’m afraid not,” said the woman, glancing down in sympathy. “You were rescued by my daughter, though, fortunately for you.”

“Daughter?” Veronyka echoed. The woman nodded.

“Minfilia,” said the woman. “And I am F’lhaminn. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Why am I still alive?” Veronyka asked. “I thought that you guys… drank us.”

“Some do,” said F’lhaminn. “Others like to play with their prey, or fatten it up.”

“And you?” Veronyka asked.

“Why don’t I show you to my daughter?” said F’lhaminn. “She should be able to explain everything to you.”

Veronyka nodded, following the vampire down the hallway and down a short flight of stairs. For where else was she to go, what else was she to do? She could figure that out after she had some food, she supposed. Assuming the vampires didn’t poison her.

In the hallway before the dining hall, however, Veronyka stopped at the sight of another white-haired vampire, this one a man clad in a black tunic. F’lhaminn’s son, perhaps? Though his eyes were hazel where hers were pink. He was also distinctly not a miqo’te.

“She’s finally awake, then?” the man asked. F’lhaminn nodded.

“She just woke up,” said F’lhaminn. “Veronyka, this is Thancred.”

“Welcome to the castle, Veronyka,” said Thancred, bowing to her. Veronyka blinked at him, drawing back slightly. He sighed. “Minfilia’s just in there waiting for you.”

Veronyka still felt anxiety humming in her veins as she entered the room, uncertain of what she would find. Though, the scent of delicious foods quickly changed her mind as she all but dashed to the table. She didn’t even see the woman sitting at the head of the table, in her haste to get food into her mouth. She supposed that she should be more careful, but she was just so hungry.

A soft chuckle at last broke through Veronyka’s feasting, and she looked up from perhaps her fifth sweet cake to find Minfilia gazing at her. Or at least, she supposed it was Minfilia. Her eyes were the same, but now…

Wow.

Gone was the cloak, instead replaced by silks in purples and pinks, accentuating her body. Veronyka flushed, looking back down at her food.

“I must say, I wasn’t expecting our first official dinner to be like… this,” said Minfilia, gesturing to the woman who was currently trying very hard not to inhale the fish platter. “Go ahead and eat, there’s plenty more where that came from.”

“I guess you don’t need to eat, huh?” said Veronyka, at last finding her voice.

“We do, actually,” said Minfilia, sliding a plate of spiced pork towards herself. She ate daintily, with knife and fork. Veronyka looked down at her greasy, sticky hands, ashamed. “Don’t be embarrassed, you were starving.”

“I am,” said Veronyka, cheeks flushing as her stomach growled again.

“Little wonder, you’ve been out for several days,” said Minfilia. “And you were casting quite a few spells without the aid of any magical artefacts, from what I could deduce.”

“Is that why you’re interested in me?” Veronyka asked. Screw it, that fish was calling her name.

“Not quite, actually,” said Minfilia. “Though many vampires do covet mages, that is not my aim. In my coven, I seek out those who need help. Usually, their enemies can prove to be quite… tasty. Unfortunately in your case, tempered ones are more trouble than they’re worth, so they will not feed my coven.”

“So where does that leave me?” Veronyka asked, swallowing her fish and then starting on the chicken.

“If their pursuers cannot be eaten, we leave the victim with two options- to leave, or to stay.”

“What, stay as a blood farm?” Veronyka asked. That sounded little better than being sacrificed. Kept weak, though the food would probably be good… no, she was better than that, more than that.

“Guard, mage, food source, servant, whatever they wish,” said Minfilia. “Some are so grateful simply to be alive that they will do anything. In return, they live with our protection, safe in the knowledge that none in my coven would harm them so long as they do not attempt to harm one of my coven.”

“Has that ever happened?” Veronyka asked.

“Yes, and it seems like such a waste, truly,” said Minfilia. “Why turn on your protectors?” Something about that didn’t sound quite right to Veronyka, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“The lesser of two evils,” said Veronyka. Minfilia looked pained.

“It may seem that way to outsiders,” said Minfilia. “However, I genuinely wish to help.”

“Can’t they just live here?” Veronyka asked.

“Some do,” said Minfilia. “Though most choose to do something, out of gratitude,”

“Or because it seems too good to be true,” said Veronyka. Minfilia gave a nod.

“One cannot change the power imbalance, that is true,” said Minfilia. “But know that you may stay here, Veronyka, for as long as you need.” Veronyka supposed that she could do that. Just until she could get her strength back, strength enough to leave.


End file.
